Medical leads are used in many medical procedures to communicate electrical signals to or from a portion of a patient's body. For example, cardiac leads are used to pace or shock a patient's heart and/or to sense the electrical signals in a patient's heart. In other applications, neurological leads are used to stimulate a portion of a patient's nervous system and/or to sense electrical activity in a portion of a patient's nervous system. There is a need for alternative designs and methods of construction for medical leads.